I checked the directions on Verdant’s website to be sure, and went with a 5-second rinse ~1-2 minutes after letting the kettle cool from boiling, then a 15-second steep.

I am happy to say it doesn’t have the earthy/fishy taste of the darker steeping pu’erhs I’ve tried. There is an earthy taste here, but it’s completely different – more like dry dirt. Actually a bit bizarre, but I’m not exactly turned off by it. I’ll have to keep sipping away to see what else comes of this tea. And resteep it, of course.

Thanks Stephanie! I really appreciate your helpfulness in the pu’erh department. Before you I didn’t even realize there were different types of pu’erh.